Hans
by Shellyluvstoread
Summary: His desire makes him bold. His past makes him cold.
1. Chapter 1

The characters from this belong to Disney, except for Kendra. Who will be only in the beginning. Rated teen because I like to have room to do what I want. The big plot I'm building off of is a headcanon for the thirteen princes done by we-finish-each-others-sandwiches on tumblr as well as a culmination of all Hans headcanons I can find. If you see one that you think could have been originally yours, let me know and I will give you complete credit for it c: be patient, and enjoy.

The summary is derived from my inspiration for this story, a movie poster that can be found on my page or seen in the clip art.

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"Mother, look!"

The queen of the southern isles looked over at her youngest son playing by the fire.

The four year old's fingertips were spitting up flames nearly as red as his hair, hotter than the ones produced by the fireplace.

She smiled adoringly and waved him over.

"Now dear, you know the rules." He pouted as she slipped his white gloves over his hands. "You're supposed to be controlling them, not playing with them. You heard what Pabbie said."

"But mother, why can't I learn to use them?" he whined.

"You are the only one of your brothers to have these powers. What if people were to think you different from us?" The queen pursed her lips here. Strangely, Hans was her only child to be born with any sort of magical quality. In the darker parts of the Southern Isles, people were already whispering about why they had continued to produce children after twelve, since thirteen was considered an unlucky number.

"Where else would I have come from, mother?"

She didn't want her youngest son to be considered the Antichrist.

"Just...it isn't safe, darling." She kissed her son on the head and ruffled his hair. "If you can't control the powers, learn to use them for something other than destruction."

His face bent to the floor in shame. "I don't mean to...they just spread so fast."

"I know, but fire isn't something to be played with. Now look at the time." She glanced out the window and saw Aurora Borealis painting the night sky. "The sky is awake, so you must go to sleep."As he stood to kiss her on the cheek, she whispered in his ear, "I know your brothers tease you, Hansel. Just know that every single one of you is important in your own way. You'll come to see that as you get older. My little king."

He looked up at her with hopeful eyes then ran off to his room before any of his brothers could catch up with him.

Riding through the darkest part of the Southern Isles was the last thing sixteen year old Prince Hans wanted to do. He wanted to curl up in his room and read. But instead he was making his way back from the Southernmost part of the islands on a horse as black as the hood draped around him. It was obvious there was something underhanded going on; something that concerned whispers only heard above the crackling of the fireplace, and yet Hans was oblivious to the scheme.

It wasn't as though he appreciated being kept in the dark, but the youngest of thirteen wasn't considered too important and was sadly used to it by now.

A letter with the royal seal of Arendelle hung securely in the pouch strapped to the side of his horse with strict orders not to open it or even look too closely at the messenger. Always eager to prove himself, Hans was determined to get the letter to the castle without a wrinkle on it.

The horse was making good time down the street when a dark shadow darted out in front of him. The horse's chest ran straight into a small girl close to his age, knocking her back at least a good five feet.

"What-?"

A large man came rushing out of the alley looking around for something. He grunted when he saw the limp body on the street and swung her over his shoulder.

"Thanks bub, you didn't see any of this."

Hans' eyes narrowed as his gloved fingertips started tingling.

"Put her down." He ordered.

The man sneered.

"Or what? You'll knock me back? I can guarantee I'm heavier than this little bitch."

Hans flushed with anger and squeezed the reigns of the horse tighter, willing the man to back off in case the gloves weren't enough to calm his temper. He swung his leg off the horse, making sure the hood covered his face.

"I said to leave her alone."

The man tossed her back on the ground, starting towards him.

"And I suppose you and those pretty little gloves will make me?" The man grabbed his arm aggressively and tugged, accidentally ripping a glove.

"I wouldn't suggest coming closer." Hans was suddenly very timid, holding his bare hand ajar. The angry heat from his face was starting to fill his arm and rush to his fingertips.

The offender scowled and came at him again. Hans didn't have time to do anything but throw his hands up in defense.

A loud roar filled the night as red, scorching flames jumped from the prince's hand. The man screamed half in fear and half from pain and ran, trying to pat the flames leaping off his skin.

Hans grimaced and pulled the shredded glove in the best he could. Hopefully no one would believe the thug, but he needed to leave soon before people came to see what the screaming was about.

He looked over at the girl who was fairly bruised after being banged around. She had matted silver blonde hair that looked almost brown because of the grunge.

Judging from what he had seen, this wasn't the best place to leave a girl beaten up and unconscious.

He swung her up into the saddle in front of him and laid her back against his chest, urging his horse to move quickly.

The King wouldn't take kindly to him bringing home a peasant. He led the horse into the farthest stable with only a pregnant palomino and carried the girl to a pile of hay, making sure her head didn't hit when he set her down. There was sure to be a lump. After Putting up his riding supplies, he took the letter and ran into the castle.

The paper was pristine despite the journey to get it and he presented it proudly.

"Thank you, Hans." The king muttered, taking the letter without a second glance to him.

His chest deflated as though a balloon was being popped.

"Is there-"

"You may leave."

He was shooed out of the study into the stone hallway by guards, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Awww." Teasing voices chorused from behind him.

He didn't need them right now. His older brothers, Nikolai and Tobias were leaning against the pillars on either side of the doorway he had just been kicked out of. The twins were eleventh and twelfth in line and tended to pick on him the most as he was the only one younger than them.

"Did daddy kick ickle Hansel out of his roooom?" Nikolai cooed.

"Shut up." His cheeks heated up as he started towards the medical supply closet and then stopped, thinking it would be best if the two in his company didn't know about the surprise in the stable.

Tobias poked him in the side, making him squirm.

"I'm sure he worked so hard to know what was in that-" his voice dropped down to a whisper. "secret letter!"

"That we know all about." Nikolai stepped in.

"No you don't." Hans whirled and stared at them in disbelief.

"Yeah we do!" Tobias cackled. "You get told about the Plan when you become an adult. And we, as you know, turned this year."

Hans glared at them both. They had to be lying; that would mean he was the only one in the dark.

"Tell me!" He snapped. The twins were already cackling down the hall.

Hans huffed in annoyance and went down to the medical cabinet, going back out to the stable.

They were lying. That letter that_ he_ had been trusted to deliver was much too important for their eyes.

He pursed his lips and opened the door silently, looking around in the moonlight. The hay pile he had left her on was empty. He crept in, and narrowed his eyes. Why didn't he light a lantern on his way out?

CLANG

A sharp pain split through his skull from the back and a groan fell from his lips as his knees buckled.

"What...was that for?" He mumbled, looking back at the girl holding a metal lantern above him.

Her eyes traveled over the water and bandages he had brought and backed away.

"Why..why did you bring me here?"

Hans bit back a smart comment and tried to remember his upbringing.

"I apologize for startling you," he stood up rubbing his head and bowed to her. "I saw that you were being chased and thought you could use help."

The girl looked at him like she had never seen anyone bow to her.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

"My name is Prince Hans. You're in one of the castle stables." He was beginning to get annoyed now. Couldn't someone appreciate kindness?

She lowered the lantern and shifted her weight, looking almost ashamed of herself.

"S-sorry. I didn't realize...I'm not used to...castle stables?"

He sighed and picked the supplies back up, guiding her over to the pile of straw.

"I didn't think my father would take to me bringing a random girl from the village into the castle."

"...I don't believe you're a prince." She said hesitantly, flopping back down on the straw.

Hans grimaced and dampened a rag with cold water.

"I don't suppose you really need to, though a little recognition would be nice." He tried to keep the depression at bay since his mother died of sickness five years ago. There had been no one stopping his brothers from converging on him. There were the oldest two, Theodore and Bastian, to who he might as well be invisible. They were the first in line for the throne and would probably really know what was in the letter. Next was Anders who had _actuall_y considered Hans invisible for two years. Johan and Erik, who had wanted to impress their older brother, also joined the 'invisible' bandwagon. They would still call him nobody from time to time. The silver lining of his family was the third oldest, Christian, who had taught Hans how to sail to take his mind off his grief in the months following mother's death. The fifth brother, Morten, had usually come with them but had kept his distance from his youngest sibling. His seventh brother, Frederick, had tagged along too and taught Hans to navigate the stars. Out of all the bad eggs in his family, Christian and Frederick would probably be the ones he tried to stay closest to at dinner every night.

The girl stayed silent for a long time as he tried to soothe her head.

"...thank you." She muttered finally.

"What was that?" he looked over with a smirk on his face "I didn't hear you."

She rolled her eyes and sat up straighter, feeling the lump on her head.

"You heard me, your _Highness._ My name is Kendra."

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Hello again, internet! There is nothing more I want than to sit around and type all day, but I've been distracted. It's been a while so I am quite rusty. Reviews will be needed to improve my writing skills to what they were before, so they're appreciated. This is my first Frozen fanfic and I hope I do Prince Hans justice. This starts as his backstory and will later turn into some Iceburns(Hans/Elsa), but I will make it so its easy to leave off if you don't like the pairing.


	2. Chapter 2

"I saw him out there! He took a helpless girl!"

The gathering in the center of the kingdom was dead silent either from fear or dubiousness.

A man stood on the edge of a fountain, waving his arms about.

"Why won't you believe me?! He kidnapped a girl and killed her rescuer! Our fears are true?"

"And how can you be so sure?" Called a man amongst the crowd.

"You have your five senses don't you? Can't you smell the stench of sin in the air? When your mouth hangs open in fright of that devil boy, does your tongue not curl in on itself from tasting hell's flames? The child isn't holy! He summoned his father's wrath from his fingertips!"

The crowd was quickly turning into a mob.

"Can his brothers do it?"

"What of the queen, did she not fulfill her purpose to the Devil?"

"He must be the only one, not one of his siblings has that fiery of hair!"

The leader raised his hand.

"We cannot fight this beast! The only way to rid it from our spirits is stealth. Fear not, I shall slay it where it lies. But he must not suspect."

Another half of the crowd shouted in protest.

"Violence is never the way to beat anything!"

"Did anyone know the girl?"

"Why should we believe this one?"

Another man stood on a platform.

"We wait! The assassination of a royal is not something to be decided of an angry mob! If we see anything more, it shall be brought up again."

The man on the fountain looked disgruntled to be put down so easily but, nodded in agreement.

And no one seemed to be to particularly worried about the girl anyway.

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_**ONE YEAR LATER**_

Kendra lay under a large evergreen tree staring up at the stars, head back against Hans' chest.

"And whats that one?" She pointed up at the brightest planet.

"Venus; named after the Greek Goddess of Love."

"How fitting." She smirked, intertwining their fingers on her waist.

Hans smirked and nuzzled into her hair.

"They don't shine brighter than your eyes." He fluttered his eyelashes in a half sarcastic gesture.

Kendra snorted and nudged him in the ribs.

"Watch out, your prince is showing."

He looked down to her, her eyes glassy from amazement from the spread of stars and took a moment to memorize how everything felt right now. He imprinted the comforting way her body lay against him like they fit, they way she was so dazzled by things she had seen many times. Her silver hair fell over her shoulder like the brightest moonlight was pouring from her. The pine needles blew a cheery scent around them. He was happy.

They sat in silence for a while until the sky was slashed with greens and purples.

"Hans!" She whispered, wiggling him awake. "Look.."

He glanced up at the sky blearily and grunted. Then he suddenly sat straight up.

"Oh lord, we need to go! Its late."

She whined and tried to grab him back down as he stood stiffly.

"I don't wanna go..."

"You know the groundskeeper comes by early." Kendra pouted but let him help her up. Her arms wrapped around his neck and tried to hold onto him a long as possible. There was nowhere she felt safer, more content than listening to his heartbeat.

His breathing became slower as they stood in each others arms until the quiet was broken by her whisper.

"I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours."

He stiffened and frowned.

"You know that's not a good idea."

"Why do you wear the gloves?"

"Why do pigs fly?"

She laughed in spite of herself and poked his stomach.

"I was abandoned. That's...why I'm alone." She tried to pass it off as nothing but the air seemed to freeze around them.

"You were..." he started.

"My mother thought she had too many children and brought me to the marketplace one day and just...left me." There was a waver in her voice as the truth finally came out.

He chewed on his lip and of all the things he had been trained to say in different situations, he couldn't come up with anything to offer for the life of him.

"Now you go." She urged while trying to rub the tears away from her eyes, feigning sleepiness.

He looked between her and his hands then sighed and started to peel his glove away.

"Please...don't think any less of me." He held his palm out upward and conjured a ball of fire.

Kendra stood there with a strange expression that almost looked like confusion.

"You have-"

"-a curse." He interjected. "Nothing more."

"But...its so beautiful." She sighed, cupping his hand in hers. The flame surged brighter.

He snuffed out the light by closing his fingers and put his glove back on. "I haven't used them since the night we met."

She grabbed ahold of his arm and walked up to the main gates.

"But I have so many questions! How strong are they? Were you actually cursed?" She was getting more excited by the minutes, walking backwards in front of him to talk.

He opened his mouth to reply when her expression morphed into panic. Hans started to turn when she flung herself behind him in a blur of platinum. She shrieked from behind and he turned to see what had happened, a bad feeling growing stronger every passing second.

A villager with a bloody sword stood over Kendra, with a horrified look on his face. Before he had time to do anything he ran for the woods. Hans didn't look twice.

"Kendra!" He dropped beside her, the peace he felt earlier being strangled by a panic growing around his chest.

"H-Hold me." She gasped, trying to lift up.

"I've got you!" He scooped her up into him and tried to stifle the ugly red leaking from her chest. She coughed and blood sprang from her lips. She was dying, and there was nothing either of them could do. She curled up into his chest and closed her eyes, finding the heartbeat to calm her.

"N-no don't do this!" He turned her chin up. "You're going to stay with me!"

Her eyes met his comforting green and savored them, willing herself to speak.

"You're m-my king." she choked out.

He watched the life drain from her in his arms as he tried to talk her back to him.

Blood seeped through his hands, spilled over his pristine coat. He couldn't breath as he looked at her motionless chest, couldn't see as her eyes stared up at the sky like she was still marveling. The only thing real to him was the flood of grief that filled him to the brim and still overflowed out of his eyes as tears poured from them.

There was movement, surely guards hearing commotion. Then silence. Then hands pulling him away.

Christian's voice tried to talk to him before giving up and just pulling him into a hug.

Hans was sure he had no idea what was going on, but almost felt grateful for the comfort. It was to be the only piece of it given to him from his family.

Over the next few months, for once, his brothers became the invisible ones.

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Well, you guys don't need to worry about Kendra, she's gone :/ I was still blubbering like an idiot when I wrote this. At three AM. Then again I cry at anything at three AM.


	3. Chapter 3

"Christian…"

"Hush, we'll be there soon." Hans pursed his lips and continued to let Christian lead him out of the castle blindfolded.

"...I can tell we're at the stables." he huffed. The permeating smell of horse and hay was enough to give that away.

His brother pulled the blindfold off. Standing in front of him was a tan fjord horse. It looked quite proud of itself from the way it held its head.

"His name is Sitron. I figured you needed something special for turning eighteen."

Hans inched over, reaching out to stroke its mane. Sitron snorted happily and reared up enough to say 'lets go!'

"Th-thank you!" Hans grinned and patted the horse's neck. The smile was the first genuine one he had given in a long time.

His brother leaned in and looked to see no one was within hearing range. "I've also noticed the last few years have been rough for you. You've come through on top. Be happier." There was always a dark feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever Kendra was mentioned. Residual anger was left in his fingertips as the villager that had apparently tried to kill him had never been found.

He went to mount, but Christian held his shoulder.

"You can ride later, for now father wants to speak with you." Han's mouth went dry and excitement kicked up in his chest.

"Really?"

"Yes, the whole family."

While he was eager to take Sitron out for a ride, he never saw his family on his birthday and ended up following Christian up to the main dining hall.

Every single one of the twelve brothers were sitting around the long table. However this left Hans standing awkwardly at the head, twisting his hands.

The doors at the end of the room swung open and the king came in, the most majestic he had ever looked. The princes all rose from their seats and bowed.

The king put up his hand and they sat at once. Except for Hans who was still trying not to play with his hands. The twins looked at him with matching mocking expressions because they had been right. Now that it was Hans' eighteenth birthday, he was let in on the secret that he had been excluded from for years.

"As I'm sure you have all told him, Hans, this is a special day for you." Hans' head was blowing up like a bubble. He already felt so wanted by his brothers from them just showing up. The king signaled the guards to close all windows and doors. The crowd of siblings grew quiet and an air of mystery seemed to fill the room.

The king rolled a map out large enough to cover the table. The Southern isles lay in the middle surrounded by countries labeled red.

"Hans, have you ever wondered why your mother and I had so many children.?" Hans wasn't expecting this as a lead in question and honestly, he didn't want to talk about his theory. One of the twins wolf whistled to drive his unspoken point home. The brothers all snickered, Hans little late, then fell back into silence with a glare from the king. "We never had much power, and we wanted to expand our humble kingdom. Alas, we hadn't the army for that." He put his arms up as if embracing both sides of the table. "If we couldn't, then we were sure our sons could. We chose kingdoms that were the most valuable. There were thirteen." He raised an eyebrow at Hans, asking him to figure out the rest. The young prince's eyes scanned over the lands. Thirteen countries, thirteen princes ripe for ruling. It was the perfect plan.

Something clicked in his mind. He had never thought that the thirteenth in line to rule would ever have any kind of throne. He saw him in a castle, his own castle!  
With a heavy crown on his head and needed by his people that looked up to him. The thought made him dizzy with happiness. No one had ever needed him since-

But he wouldn't ruin the moment. He pushed back the fire and focused on the fact that he was being handed everything he had ever wanted.

The smile spreading across his face made the king nod.  
"Do you remember the letter you delivered to me just two years ago?"

Hans nodded. The night stuck out like a sore thumb.

"That was from intelligence in Arendelle." Hans' eyes darted to the largest of the kingdoms. "one of the servants we planted there observed something quite strange in the future queen. Little Elsa. Only days after the news about their majesties, she went into clean her room and found the entire place had been turned into a snowstorm powered by her. The girl was crying in a corner, her hands frosted over and went ballistic when she saw the maid. We suspect that, considering your...gift, you might be the one best suited to go up against her if it comes to that."

His stomach jumped. He was going to be the king of not just any kingdom, but Arendelle.

"Hans?" The king snapped him out of his revere and crossed his arms. I hope you realize how important this kingdom is to the plan. Failure is not an option."

His cheeks flushed. They were trusting him with something! Maybe they would invite him to one of their hunting trips now!

The king handed him a scroll. "This lists everything you'll need to be studying in preparation. The princess will be having her coronation in three years, that should give you plenty of time."

Hans put on the best professional face he had and nodded his head. "And who is my bride to be?" The brothers all laughed more uproariously now.

Even the king smirked. "Don't count your chickens, Hans. Princess Elsa has been practically invisible for the past nine years. We don't know what she looks like nor the expanses of her powers. Her last public appearance was at age eight."

"And Erik followed her around like a lost puppy!" Nikolai jabbed Erik in the side, whose face turning an unpleasant purple color.

"You're lucky, Hans." He muttered, sliding down in his chair.

The king sighed. "Erik was going to have Arandelle until the news came. But," He leaned forward, looking Hans dead in the eye. "There is no room to slip up. We don't know what to expect from Elsa, but if things go badly, her younger sister Anna will always be a fallback." Hans' expression fell.

"But I won't be king…"

The king exchanged a look with Theodore, the oldest. "You are going to be in the position...when you kill her."

The room went an uncomfortable sort of silent.

"I...what?"

"If the approach with Elsa fails, there is no more room for her in the plan and you must get rid of her."

"But…" Terrible images popped up in his mind of him being the one to hold the sword that came down on Kendra. "I-I can't kill anybody…" He started.

"Hans. It's your birthright."

He grit his teeth. All his brothers' eyes were on him, expecting, judging. Pressure was building between his ears, ready to explode.

He couldn't help but run.

He darted out the doors, ignoring his brothers' shouts behind him and grabbed Sitron, steering him towards the forest.

The new horse was keen to go the fastest he could and didn't stop until they had found a clearing in the woods. Hans dismounted and fell to his knees. There was something definitely wrong, his hands were shaking, everything was bubbling up in his brain like a lava lamp.

If Elsa didn't commit, he couldn't become king. He'd let down his family if he didn't kill her. A lifetime of planning would be ruined.

"It's your birthright"

Was his birthright to become a murderer? His brothers were all there beside him for once. Every single one. Just as one thought occurred, another slid in its place. His breathing became labored. Is this what it felt like to have a panic attack? His hands shook, as if ready to explode. Hans looked over his shoulder and saw Sitron facing the other way.

Before he could think, he ripped off his gloves and threw his hands up to the sky. With the force of a volcano, an ear-splitting boom tore the sky in two. From the castle it looked like a small atom bomb had gone off.

Hans sat back on his behind with a stunned look on his face, some nearby tree tops smoking. He locked eyes with Sitron who stared back with nearly the same expression from behind a charred trunk. The tips of his fingers were smoking, but he didn't have a mark on him.

He stood shakily and peeled off his jacket. He felt better. The problems still probed the back of his mind, but he was able to think through them better. Marry the queen or kill her. Elsa would have to fall in love with him. There was no other way. He wouldn't fail.

He took the list out of his pocket and scanned through it. If only he could know a little bit more about the future queen, it would have been helpful. That only meant he would have to be ready for anything. The lessons included sword fighting, acting and complete knowledge of the kingdom they were assigned. Hans grimaced in frustration. He would work however hard he had to for his kingdom, but how was he supposed to learn to control the powers? Everything else seemed easy though. Every prince knew how to sword fight. It went along with the basic etiquette classes they took as boys. And with countless mischievous older brothers always blaming their messes on you, you worked up some damn good innocent faces over the years.

But his powers...


	4. Chapter 4

Everything had gotten so much better in the time span of only a few months. Hans' brothers were actually teaching him, helping him, _accepting_ him. It was as if the past eighteen years had been a bad dream.

Even the eldest,Theodore, was his main mentor in the human nature classes. He would go through every little step Hans didn't understand.

"What does it mean by 'finding someone's weakness?'"'

Theodore looked over and scanned through the page.

"In order to get the kingdom, you will probably have to manipulate people. Some are easier than others. Ones that show their weaknesses are the easiest. For example, your Elsa will have to open up to show you something that lets her guard down. We don't know what has happened since she was eight, but those closed gates tell me that she won't be very friendly. On the other hand, her sister could melt if anyone tried to talk to her. This is why you should keep your options open."

Hans tapped his fingers nervously. He had already promised himself that he would do whatever was in his power to not kill Elsa. If it did come down to it, he would do what he must for his family.

Even the head of the "invisible Hans" club was taking notice. If he ever had a question with stocks or trading, Anders was the first to point the answer out. He was easily considered the brother that was the most book smart.

For his twentieth birthday, everyone finally let him come on a hunting trip. The only brothers that weren't there were Frederick and Paul, both of which had never preferred the outdoors. The rest of the large family picked up and traveled to the closest mainland mountains where the snow was densest but the deer fattest.

Theodore downed a prize buck which guaranteed some good venison for dinner. The brothers all teased Anders about how if they ran out of firewood, his books would do nicely. Usually this was followed by Anders tossing a large, leather bound one at the offender. The king smirked from skinning the deer and shook his head. Hans was so happy to be included his head could have combusted.

During dinner, Erik prodded Hans' side.

"I suppose its a good thing the cold doesn't affect you. Considering."

Hans blushed and chewed on the meat slowly. The raised temperature of his body was enough to keep him comfortable in the climate of the mountain. "Well...if everything works out."

"Always make yourself the villain." Everyone looked up from the suddenness of the phrase from Nelsen. "It's better for them to think of you as 'evil' than for the Southern Isles to be reflected on badly." The older brother had been quiet for most of the evening. He supposed that this was what he had been bottling up. The king cleared his throat.

"That is a point I've been meaning to bring up. I suppose now is a good a time as any."

Hans nodded and bowed his head. The pressure from his family was stacking up along with the open arms into their circle. He could guess that, as a royal, he should value the good of his kingdom more than the way people viewed him. No matter how much the idea made him uncomfortable, it was a moot point.

Once his brothers had all gone into their tents, Hans poked his head out and hurried towards the frozen lake with a bag slung over his shoulder. A favorite memory of his childhood, one of the good ones, was his mother taking him out to ice skate on the ponds. He had always melted the ice before they could get much done, but with his powers under control he wondered how long he could go without the ice getting thin.

He strapped on a pair of ice skates and stepped onto the slippery surface. His strokes were shaky at first, then with growing confidence managed a few loops. The melodic scrape of ice against metal made him smile with nostalgia. He didn't notice the warm glow of confidence he was omitting as he coasted out towards the opposite side of the lake.

Before he could notice the sound of brittle ice, the floor shattered under him and he was enveloped in dark, numbing water. Even with his body heat a few degrees above the norm, the below zero temperature of the water sucked away at his strength greedily.

Hans shut his eyes tight and swam up as fast as he could towards the surface. He had always hated water. Baths he didn't mind so much as it had become a normal thing, but swimming made him want to shrivel up.

Just when his lungs had started to beg for oxygen, a mitten grabbed his hand and brought him up from the water. He choked on the freezing air but was glad for it, rubbing his eyes to clear them. A man clad from head to toe in animal fur was dragging him towards the shore.

"Are you nuts?" The man hissed. "That water must be forty below!"

"I didn't mean to fall in!." Hans chattered. The temperature in his body was already increasing to where he could feel his legs again. "Uhm...thank you." He sighed, putting his hands over his ears to warm them.

"Sven."

"What?" Hans raised an eyebrow before feeling something like a large animal flop down behind him. While aromatic, it was very effective at trapping heat. A look behind him confirmed it was a fully grown reindeer. It seemed friendly enough.

His rescuer sat beside him and pulled down the snow caked bandana around his mouth. He didn't look any older than Hans, in fact a bit younger.

"What is a guy like you doing up on a desolate mountain peak? Other than trying to kill himself."

"I was just trying to ice skate! And what do you mean a guy like me?" He buried back into the fur on the reindeer.

"A guy with the royal seal on his coat."

He pursed his lips and gathered material around the gold circle.

"I could ask you the same thing." He could feel the mountain man's suspicious stare. He realized he should probably be acting colder and shivered for good measure.

"I sell ice for a living in Arendelle and the surrounding kingdoms. With the summers over there, I have to go pretty far. At least I dress for it."

Hans grimaced at the jab on his less than bundled up appearance. He needed to wrap this up before anything got bad.

"I owe you my life, thank you. What is your name?"

"Kristoff." The guy was only getting more suspicious. "I'm guessing you're not from around here?"

Hans stood and patted Sven meekly.

"I am Prince Hans of The Southern Isles." He didn't know what he expected, but the way Kristoff lay back against his reindeer he didn't seem too impressed.

"Never heard of you." The man looked quite amused at the disgruntled look on Hans' face as he tried to stand in ice skates.

"Well...I am forever in your debt. You're..always welcome in our kingdom."

He still looked bored and mildly entertained. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Hans proceeded to hobble off awkwardly on his skates to the other side of the lake where he had left his bag. That was an experience he hoped to forget soon.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

**_THREE YEARS LATER_**

**_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_**

The day of his trip, a new man made his way down to the pier. When he looked over from the carriage he was riding down in to see the passing villagers. There was something different about how they looked now from how he remembered from years back. The women's eyes followed him, the men stood back.

"Its a gratifying feeling, isn't it?" Erik smirked across from him. "Knowing they respect you."

Hans' eyebrow shot up in skepticism. "How can you tell they respect me?"

His older brother gave him a knowing look.

"Watch."

He glanced out the window and gave a woman the most alluring smile he could muster. Her eyes widened and instantly looked down, trying to gather the rolls she had dropped.

Hans chuckled a bit. "Is that what respect is, brother? Or harlotry?"

The twins on the other side of the carriage whooped in choruses of "oOOOoooOOh!"

Hans looked out the window and made eye contact with a flower seller. He gave her a smile and winked the eye closest to her. She blushed and turned away, smiling wide.

Perhaps a little bit of flaunting what he had wasn't too bad.

Hans stood on the edge of the pier, looking over the sea. Only a few days and he would see his new kingdom. He wasn't crazy about floating on a huge body of water, but it was a journey he was more than willing to make.

His father stood in the appropriate attire along with a line up of his present brothers. The last of his luggage was brought on as he went down to say a (hopefully) warm goodbye.

"Make us proud, Hans." His father said, patting his shoulders. The words resonated in his brain, making him puff up. He would go to any lengths to prove himself worthy of the family name. "A word of caution." He continued. "While I know you're quite proud of them, I would advise using your talent only as a last resort"

He nodded and looked over all his siblings. They seemed blank faced, but it was probably just for show. He bowed to his father and led Sitron up onto the ship. As they pushed off, he felt a string pull him to stand straighter. He _was_ prince charming. And he would have his kingdom.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hey there! I'm sorry if this update was a bit slow, for those of you who don't follow me, I did a special little spin off drabble about Hans starting to use his fire powers :3 Its preeeetty sweet.

For some reason I'm having trouble mustering up any motivation for this story so I'm sorry if it seems...bleh. This chapter is the cutoff between just Hans and Iceburns so next chapter we're gonna see some Elsa. I'M PUMPED. I'm probably not going to go by the movie, so fair warning ^^;


	5. Chapter 5

Hans' ship arrived the day of the coronation. As he came down the plank leading Sitron along, his first real view of Arendelle was gorgeous. The people were out enjoying the sunny weather, doing their shopping and going about their lives. Flowers opened their petals towards the sky on every windowsill, goods stacked in surplus in the market, and a lush, green forest carpeted the background. The kingdom was healthy and ready for his rule. The shipmates carried his luggage off into the inn loading area. All visiting nobles would be staying in the finest hotel in the kingdom, very near to the castle. While looking up at the turrets his mind dug for ways to break the ice between them. He smirked at the pun and shook his head.

As he made his way to the gates, the prince couldn't help a small smile when he felt a gentle tug on his coattails. A flower was held up to him as a girl no older than five shuffled her feet and looked down at the ground. He smiled and kissed her head, taking the flower.

"Thank you, sweet-" But she was already running to her mother. Hans laughed to himself and pushed his way into the streets of Arendelle. The girl had given him an idea.

Elsa stared out the window at the arriving ships. She could make it for today. Keep her gloves on while meeting people. The only time her hands would be bare was holding up the globus and scepter. It was best for her people.

"Ma'am." Berta snapped her out of the pep talk by draping a rich purple cloak around her shoulders. "Your parents would be proud."

Elsa smiled sadly and looked at the portrait of the late king above the chest of drawers.

"Thank you, Berta. It means a lot coming from you." The handmaiden had been by her side since she was very little and had tended to her mother before her death.

"Are you nervous?" The aged woman nudged her in front of the three way mirror and swept her hair up to the base of her neck in a graceful twist.

"Beyond belief." She grimaced, picking at the seams of her gloves.

Berta tutted and wove a blue ribbon into her braid.

"Now, now. There's nothing to be nervous about. You'll do fine m'dear. And who knows? Maybe you'll find a suitor tonight."

Berta didn't know, but she had only made the pit of dread in Elsa's stomach grow. There would be men. Men who would possibly try to dance with her. She hadn't been in close proximity to a male since she danced around with her father on the edges of his shoes when she was eight. And something told her it wouldn't be the same as having servants of the opposite sex.

Berta noticed the line of worry creasing the soon to be queen's brow and smoothed her bun down.

"You've grown into a wise, beautiful young woman. You'll know when he comes along."

Elsa managed a tight lipped smile and looked over at the candlestick and jewelry box she had been practicing on. If she did that out of fear, what would she do out of hormones?

Berta patted her shoulder and went to wait with the rest of her servants outside the grand door.

Elsa tried to calm herself down, kneading her hands together and wandering around the room. She had to get out; she felt like anyone could barge in on her in this state.

Going to the window overlooking Arendelle, she focused the telescope on the sill. This was one of her only ways to know what the outside world was like; observing from afar. Her favorite focus was on a quaint flower shop where families would wander by and sniff the freshly cut buds, sometimes the fathers would buy their daughters a little daisy. It made her heart feel warmer knowing that she was indeed keeping her people safe from her. Today there were people rushing in and out keeping the poor chubby man behind the counter busy. Her eye lazily followed an old woman picking through some tulips as a man in white bumped into her side. She focused on the man's auburn hair shining in the bright sun, who was now apologizing with fervor. Elsa chuckled at the man's flustered face. He backed up and stepped to the side, continuing to look through the roses. He straightened after a few seconds and looked towards her window, almost directly at her with penetrating green eyes. A vicious twist in her diaphragm caused Elsa to stumble back, face blushing darker than the roses he had been studying.

The stupidest possible phrase she could think of flitted through her head.

'He looked at me!'

Immediately she was furious with herself. She was at her knees at one look from a perfectly ordinary man. Heck, there was already frost at her fingertip! How would she handle the pressing crowds tonight if someone asked her to dance? She felt a door shut inside of her on top of so many others. There would be no dancing, no contact with anyone. Except Ana of course. In the meantime she needed to get herself straightened out.

As she stepped out the doors her handmaidens made to move around her but she held up a hand and made her way towards the garden. This was probably the only time she would be able to spend out here before the coronation. When the gates opened the palace would be crowded with people who were so easily hurt by her. The little garden had always been her place to come and think. The nature around her kept her sane and satisfied enough to not venture out into the world. Through the years of planting flowers and enjoying the sunlight that penetrated into the small nook, no one had bothered her. It was all the freedom she needed. Elsa gathered her cloak and slipped through the pathway, already feeling better.

On the other side of the wall, Hans was purchasing a set of white and red roses. The queen would be receiving huge bundles of flora today and the small gift of two roses would hopefully stand out. At least they would after how she found them.

Over the crowd he could spot Sitron safely tethered outside the inn.

The prince made his way along the stone bridge linking the castle to the rest of the kingdom, noting the couple of people already clumping at the doors. He leaned on the wall, looking nonchalant and simply observed for the next few minutes. There were carriages coming to deliver supplies for the ball. With a plan in mind, he waited where the carriages would turn onto the bridge and quickly hopped in the back of one. Hans grinned to himself and took a handful of the piles of chocolate surrounding him for a reward.

He heard the gates crack open then shut behind them and the carriage was brought into the barn for the horses to be watered. While the drivers undid the buckles, he hopped out the front and snuck into the servants entrance.

The castle was deafeningly quiet besides the sounds of his boots squeaking. Not that he minded since he wasn't supposed to strictly be here, but it made him question why such a large castle had little to no staff. Not a soul was seen as he tiptoed through countless halls. He really should have thought this through more since he didn't know where anything was in the castle. The window he had seen the telescope from had been facing the kingdom on the second floor, so with a quick glance to the stairs, he darted up and behind a suit of armor as a butler looking man strolled past and went around the corner. He heard him knock on a door and call for 'Princess Ana'.

So that was the younger sister. From what he knew about the family, their parents had practically pushed them apart from a young age, and that meant Elsa's room would be away from her's. Before the butler could come back, he made his way into the opposite hall. There was a grand doorway to his right with handmaidens lined up outside waiting for something.

He ground his teeth in frustration. Of course she would be guarded.

To the left he saw a smaller door with a blue pattern on it. He pressed his ear and when no sound was heard, opened it cautiously. The room was barren but definitely Elsa's. A closet stood alongside her bed next to a large portrait of her and her little sister at a young age. Like every time he had seen a picture, the silvery hair made his heart drop for a moment even after the years that had passed.

The smiles on both girl's faces showed that this was before they had closed the gates; the glowing happiness contrasted with the empty fireplace. Books were stacked in perfect piles along the bed that didn't have one wrinkle in the sheets. The floor was immaculate save a rug perfectly positioned in the middle of the room. Hope flared in his chest as he looked over the books; they had the same taste.

Before he could sit down and start reading, he took the two roses, one red and one white, and put them on her desk. He stepped away and tapped his toe. Something was missing.

He smacked his forehead in annoyance. He had to leave some kind of note! She wouldn't know who they were from!

A frantic look showed no paper nor pen in sight and he grew more and more restless as seconds ticked by. Someone could come in to clean (not that it was needed) and he would be found out!

The prince growled and snuck out of the room, closing the door behind him. This had probably been a bad idea anyway. Oh, what would his brothers say?

A door slamming open nearly scared him out of his skin as quick footsteps were heard down the hall.

"Its coronation day!" Someone exclaimed, breaking the silence in the halls. The princess was apparently up. Her running dissipated to the first floor as he found another flaw in an otherwise brilliant plan. How would he get out?

He stepped back into Elsa's room and knocked his head against the wall with a look that could peel the wallpaper off. Princes weren't allowed to make this kind of mistake! Princes that wanted their own kingdoms, that is! Heat flared through his fingers as he fought back his irritation. Trying to clear his mind, he thought back to his training. Never panic in times of pressure.

There had to be another way into the kingdom. Or at least to a place he could safely hide out. He could hear his brothers taunts already.

As he snuck down the stairs, singing rang from the other side of the castle, something about windows. The servant entrance was now clogged up with people trying to get everything in place.

A large progression moved to the dining halls with the piles chocolate he had ridden in on. As they passed the front doors, he noticed that the entrance wasn't guarded in the least. A peek outside revealed no one in sight. Hans darted out in a blur of white and pulled the gates open, slipping out onto the crowded walkway, hardly able to believe his luck. Questioning eyes followed him as he walked back to the town like nothing strange had happened. Luckily no one wanted to question the intimidating looking noble who had walked out of the forbidden gates, pouring sweat.

Sitron gave him a strange look when he finally leaned on the horse's rear.

"You don't want to know, buddy." He sighed. "Lets go." Mounting Sitron, he made his way over to the docks where his trunk was. He ran a hand through his hair in vain, trying to make himself looked like the polished prince he was when out of nowhere a green blur ran in front of Sitron.


End file.
